@0-172 Thanks for confirming! Now I can dive in with zero regrets!

When you import your party from the first game are they deleted in it?
Or can you still open the first game and play it? I haven't finished the last dungeon.

Looks like crap. If I could get a 3DS with smartphone functionality, I'd be all over it.

And knowing is half the battle. Thanks!

I'd totally buy it, without thinking. But I think we need a futuristic tactical game too.

I have the impression that latter games have been more popular. I never played any of the first three, so I'd give this one a whirl for sure.

So he's doing damage control because he lost a lot of internet good-will. I say he deserves it for behaving like and idiot; insulting a potential platform for his games is dumb from any angle.

You just don't casually crap on a demographic who may pay for your stuff.

I need to sell a kidney... Any takers?

So Batsu graduated high school and went to study law. Still, brawling habits die hard, it seems!

I have to read reviews, as I live in a developing country and I have to either pay a premium or import (and pay the corresponding import expenses) to get a game I want. I basically can't afford spending money on bad games, where bad is something that doesn't work or I won't like.

What I look for are info on the game mechanics, the story (if any) and if there are any game breaking bugs. That's why I like the reviews on this site; I know the reviews are pretty straight forward and "journalistic", in the sense that the information is presented with minimum bias (or the bias is clearly explained), and several relevant aspects of the game will be analyzed. Other sites are pretty juvenile, and add a lot of posturing and snark to their comments rendering the reviews useless to me.

I remember a mag I used to read when I was a kid, where a dvd that interested me was being reviewed. One of the reviewers in the panel just said "It's not (name of thematically different movie)". I decided right then that if the editors let them do that lazy crap and let it pass as a review I was not going to buy the stupid mag anymore.

To conclude, I read the reviews to understand what the game is about and how it works. All the other drama surrounding scores is a waste of time to me, and is basically another case of confirmation bias rampant in the internet.

Given my lack of gaming friends this sounds pretty sweet to me.

@Bankai:
1) This is a public gaming forum, not the Wall Street Journal.
2) This being the internet, people will express all kinds of opinions, reasoned or not. As a Journalist you have to learn to deal with "New Media" and it's idiosyncracies.
3). As a Project Manager I KNOW that talking doesn't solve anything. Period. Specially overnight.
4). It doesn't take a degree in Business, which I have, to notice there are common threads among the comments. In fact, a focus group behaves like this.

To answer your original question, Square Enix is ailing because:

A. They are unfocused, their product strategy is all over the place.
B. They are wasting money and time in lieu of graphic fidelity.
C. They invested a lot of money on western developers, which is pretty smart given the value of the yen, but they have yet to see the return they were expecting.
C. Since I am not auditing their financials, no matter how much I reason my arguments, I'm still talking out of my butt.

@Bankai I have a background in business, IT and Project Management. It doesn't mean I won't take cheap shots every once in a while, just for fun. Lighten up, this isn't homework we're discussing

Also, where's Tobal 3D??? They literally missed out on the fighting game renaissance. Idea Factory or not, that game was excellent and deserved a follow up.

How's about getting decent writers/plotters for their games? That should help TONS. And get rid of the bullcrap titles, they're unmarketable.

Wasted opportunity. Should have been rebranded to FOXY BROWN, all caps.

I download from the US store, where games cost HALF of what I'd have to pay at retail in my country.
Got a big fat 32 gb class 10 waiting for this and Animal Crossing.

I would kill to be able to play Culdcept and Puyo Puyo 20th Anniversary in my US 3DS, but meh, you can't always get what you want.

@Samholy The name of the game was already registered in Europe. I think this one has better chances than most.

@Schprocket In fact, Hasbro started the Transformers line licensing and recoloring several animé toy lines.

Perfect for stuffing stockings.

Bring it to 3DS with an export function! Pretty please!

I really wanted to love it, but I found it too easy and the artwork was horrible. The concept art was beautiful, but the game was all shades of gray and beige, and the character models... meh. Also, the gender locked classes were a turn off.
The online was well implemented, it's a shame they won't be able to leverage the knowledge they gained with a follow up.

Denpa love!

Please partner up with Amazon. I would kill to have my books available on the 3DS, the music would be gravy.

@Mahe: Anyone who knows how the stock market works knows that it responds to perception. (Also I wasn' questioning his method of analysis, just his need to be a diva)
I'd look up the quote and the author, but I'm pretty bored with the discussion as all you're doing is rehashing the same argument.
It's probably a sign of the Mayan apocalypse or the NPD numbers.

@Ducutzu: I know, right?
Quote sources, variables and statistic analysis used and I'll believe anything. Otherwise, I'd be careful to qoute a guy who has been caught saying half-truths and outright lies before.

@Mahe: Pachter is paid to be a wet blanket, because he has to ensure his customers see a return on their investments. Right now the safest bet for a quick buck is mobile (a few months ago it was mobile and social, but social imploded). He basically has to keep the self-sustaining myth of Nintendo doom going because they are the riskiest propositon and a direct threat to his pet stocks.
It is logical that aggregate sales of DS/3DS are going down because guess what? DS is phasing out and 3DS is ramping up.

@Mahe: Repeating Pachter word for word is hardly in depth analysis.

@Windy: Ok, I think I understand you now. For impulse buys you definitely get more value for your money from iTunes. And since stuff is so cheap, there's hardly any buyer's remorse.

We also agree there's no comparison between the experience offered by most apps and retail games.

Thanks for explaining your point of view!

@Windy: I'm typing this on an iPhone, and pricing aside there's hardly a reason for me to consider gaming on it. I'm not 12 either.

The enormous glut of crap, runners, tower defense games and "physics puzzlers" can't hold a candle to the replayability and polish of Nintendo games in general. In fact, the way money is made on both platforms guarantees that from the very start of project design games are going to be different. Not to mention that their input is tailored to different experiences.

It's great you find iOS gaming so likable, but as compelling as you find your argument, it's still based on taste (much like mine).

@kesley4884: It's a matter of taste, really. I have both. I drew my avatar with Colors!3D as well.

Sometimes I want to do pure digital, sometimes I want to do faux analog.

@k8sMum: I'm not particularly gifted in any technique, but I can try out layering colors and share the result with you. Which colors would you like me to try? Primaries?

@-Max-: Nuthin'. I suppose the press release is all we have.

@ouroborous: This Art Academy is completely new, with additional tools (colored pencils, pastels, paper textures, etc) and sharing options. It certainly isn't what you think.
Depending on the amount of time you put into it, it's well worth the money. I used the original to sketch and I would finish using the computer. I intend to do the same with this one.

@Henmii: Denpa means electro-magnetic wave, radio wave, or nonsense.

I have no clue what Pikmin means.

@rjejr: The game detects routers and creates Denpamen using whatever esoteric means, it does not need to connect to the internet.

@Cengoku: The game is solid even without Japanese munchkin voices.

Guys, remember to post your reviews in the eShop; support a great game.

I've heard a lot of people put off by the character design, while others (like myself) find it so silly we're intrigued. It's a pretty solid turn based RPG, and I hope the sequel is released eventually.

Denpamen for me! I've been deprived of RPGS on the 3DS and I found it to be real fun.

My daughter loves it as well, so if sje plays the demo enough, I may consider gettig it for her. Beig able to import your save was a genius move.

I'm so glad I never sold my Jump Ultimate Stars!

I will eat what I kill. That's how I like it.

@Chriiis: I'm getting the 3DS XL on day one. Giant hands + giant screens + Colors!3D + New Art Academy = Win.

I don't care what it looks like, I care about the games it plays. In fact, I look forward to make it bigger with a battery add on. I'm sure Nyko will want a piece of that action.

People ask, Nintendo answers. Now all the hate will be poured towards the system's aesthetics, but we all know the haters are dying to play CPP compatible games in a big screen. Not that I give a crap either way.

Really, guys. It's not like Nintendo is sending ninjas to destroy everyone's original models overnight. Enjoy yours, and be happy that they are catering to even more people; more sales means more money for the games we geek out about.

I don't give 2 craps about the CPP, that was obviously a stop gap solution to court some developers. 15+ million would have been left out in the cold if they had added a second one, and THAT would have been a dumb move. The execs @ the company are shrewd, smart people. That's why they came out on top with underpowered systems this gen. The whole "Y u so stoopid" thing is not true.

Me? I'm ordering it as soon as Amazon lets me. It's an individual choice, and I'm happy I have the option.

@GreenDream You're right! Thumb length would affect that control scheme. Anyways, none of the games I enjoy routinely in my 3DS requires the CCP; no big deal to me.

Anyways, here's where you can get one to experiment (if you live in the US, of course!): http://goo.gl/vmYwP

@GreenDream: Regarding the thumb stylus comment, I had some of the original DS thumbstraps lying around and tried to play Kid Icarus with one. It was too slow to be any good. I had a similar experience years ago playing Metroid Prime Hunters with stylus vs strap.

@Kirk: You are right, of course. But hey, if you feel so strongly about it just don't buy it, mmmkay?